1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a facsimile device and, more particularly, to a facsimile device which provides a user-to-user signaling function, and which has an S-type interface card, and a method for transferring and receiving facsimile data by using the facsimile device.
2. Related Art
Generally, as is well known, a facsimile device includes a scanner for scanning a document, a printer for printing image data, and a device for transferring and receiving the image data to/from another remote facsimile device.
An analog type of facsimile device is connected to an integrated service digital network (hereinafter, referred to as ISDN) by means of a terminal adapter. However, the terminal adapter only converts digital signals transferred from the ISDN into analog signals to provide the facsimile device with the analog signals, and converts the analog signals transferred from the facsimile device into digital signals to provide the ISDN with the digital signals. Therefore, the analog type of facsimile device cannot be provided with additional service supported through the ISDN.
The additional service of the ISDN can be utilized by the facsimile device if and when the facsimile device has the ability to analyze a class-3 message from the ISDN. Even if the analog type facsimile device is connected to the ISDN through the terminal adapter, the facsimile device cannot be supplied with the additional service corresponding to the class-3 message because the terminal adapter only converts signals in a voice band into digital signals.
That is, when the analog type facsimile device is connected to the ISDN through the terminal adapter, the analog facsimile device communicates with other facsimile devices through the ISDN by using the voice band. Therefore, the analog facsimile device must have a terminal adapter which functions to receive the additional services from the ISDN, or must have a specified communication instrument between the terminal adapter and the facsimile device itself.
For example, RS-232C type serial ports are provided for the terminal adapter and the analog facsimile device, respectively. Software is also provided for the terminal adapter and the analog facsimile device.
The terminal adapter analyzes the class-3 message from the ISDN, and informs the analog facsimile device of the additional services which are able to be used in the facsimile device. The analog facsimile device informs the terminal adapter of what kind of additional ISDN service is to be used by the facsimile device.
The analog facsimile device must also include a display device, such as a liquid crystal display, to provide the user with the additional services. Moreover, the analog facsimile device must also include function keys to select one of the additional services.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above described problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile device having a user-to-user signaling function, and which contains an S-type interface card, and to provide a method for transferring and receiving a message in a user-to-user manner.
To accomplish the above objects of the present invention, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile device which includes a device capable of transferring and receiving a message in a user-to-user signaling manner, and which has an S-type interface card which is able to be connected to an integrated service digital network. The message transferring and receiving device includes: an input section for inputting a message to be transferred; a storage section for storing the inputted message; a transferring section for transferring the stored message in the user-to-user signaling manner; a receiving section for receiving a transferred message; an output section for outputting the received message; and a controller for detecting input signals from every section, and for generating a control signal corresponding to the each input signal.
The input section and the output section are, preferably, formed on a single panel.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for transferring and receiving a message by using a facsimile device having an S-type interface card, comprising the steps of: inputting a message to be transferred; transferring the inputted message in a user-to-user signaling manner; and receiving a transferred message in the user-to-user signaling manner.
A method for transferring and receiving a message by using a facsimile device having an S-type interface card further comprises the step, after the step of inputting a message to be transferred, of storing the message to be transferred, after which the stored massage is transferred.
The message inputting step includes the steps of: indicating a list of the messages which are stored; and selecting one of the messages from the list.
The message receiving step includes the steps of: outputting a received message on a display; determining whether or not to print the received message; and printing the received message when an order to print the received message is inputted.